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Before too long, Israel may have to make difficult choices between America and China
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| Contributor | Penguin |
| Last Edited | Penguin May 21, 2011 02:25am |
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| Category | Opinion |
| News Date | Thursday, May 19, 2011 08:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | US reactions to the discovery and killing of bin Laden in Pakistan have been stern, with Senators and Representatives voicing shock, dismay and raising questions whether American aid, which has totals approximately $20 billion since 2002, should be cut off. But with US influence collapsing throughout the Muslim world, and with Pakistan itself reeling internally in the wake of bin Laden, the Obama Administration seems anxious to smooth things over. The head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry, has completed a visit to Pakistan and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will visit soon.
But Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has begun a visit to China, nominally on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Chinese weapons sales to Pakistan are increasing and it has signed agreements to invest up to $30 billion in Pakistan over the next five years. New reports also show that Pakistan is speeding production of four new nuclear reactors for plutonium production. When complete, it is estimated these will give Pakistan the ability to produce at least two dozen nuclear weapons per year.
The US appears willing to continue paying Pakistan out of fear of losing one of its few remaining Muslim “allies” and over the implicit threat of an unstable Pakistan losing control over its nuclear arsenal. It is unwilling to confront China, the largest owner of US government bonds, on virtually any issue, from trade to proliferation.
These circumstances put Israel in a difficult situation. Bilateral trade with China is climbing toward $10 billion annually and China is second only to the US as Israel’s leading trade partner. But Chinese dependence on Middle Eastern oil and determination to pursue foreign policy goals directed at India and the US, such as the relationships with Pakistan and Iran, put China and Israel at odds. |
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